Using Virtual Worlds to Learn About This One

Second Life has already proven to be a valuable way to teach psychology students to diagnose mental health ailments and interact with avatars that can mimic real-world problems. But virtual psychology isn't the only area being utilized by the program.

The University of Arkansas is using Second Life to design model hospitals that might one day be used to guide the layout and building of real-world counterparts. Spearheaded by Dr. Craig Thompson of the computer science and engineering department and Dr. Fran Hagstrom of the rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders department, the movement seeks to use a Second Life hospital as a way to track and monitor the hundreds of hypothetical situations that face real doctors and nurses every day. For instance, the SL hospital could be used to monitor how inventory is used and how storage closets are designed for nurses and aides. That's the kind of thing that would be expensive and almost impossible to measure in the real world, but the cost-free SL hospital only needs the investment of time before its results can yield dividends.

Similarly, Arkansas State University bought a chunk of land (digital islands cost real-world cash) to re-create its campus online and teach a variety of classes including art history. The methods used are similar to the ones I've noted when it comes to teaching psychology: By pushing students to create situations they'd face in the real world, they wind up with a better understanding of the concepts.

These are just the beginnings of what it will mean to teach via a virtual world, but it's clear that the future of the field is a bright one.

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This is the personal blog of Milton Broome, the digital avatar of University of Derby Senior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Simon Bignell. The avatar is a proxy for Psychology teaching and research in 3D multi-user virtual environments. I am a Developmental Psychologist by training with a strong interest in Cyberpsychology and Cognitive Psychology.

I teach a range of Psychology modules both to campus-based and distance learners. I lead the final-year course 'Autism, Asperger's and ADHD'; the final year course 'Educational Psychology', and teach on a range of modules across Developmental and Cognitive Psychology.

I led the JISC and HEA-funded projectthat evaluated teaching and research in the 3D virtual world Second Life. I would be pleased to talk with you if you share these interests. Please feel free to comment, subscribe, forward or quote extracts from this blog. I also welcome relevant guest articles.

Contact: Dr Simon Bignell (SL Avatar: Milton Broome) Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Centre for Psychological Research, University of Derby, UK. Email: s.bignell@derby.ac.ukThis is a personal blog and all views expressed here are the opinions of the individual authors at the time of publication and not those of any academic institution.

Virtual Research

SL-Labs is the Virtual Psychology research space in the digital environment 'Second Life' run by the Psychology Department at University of Derby, UK. You can visit this in the virtual world Second Life by clicking on the above image.

PREVIEW-Psych project

The PREVIEW-Psych problem-based learning virtual worlds project. You can visit this in the virtual world Second Life by clicking on the above image.